CustomInk announces Charlottesville plant expansion

Supervisor Dittmar appreciates firm's corporate culture

CustomInk announced Thursday the completion of its multi-million dollar facility expansion in Charlottesville Thursday. The project marks the fourth major facility opening for the company during 2014, according to a company press release.

CustomInk, founded in 2000, enables people to design and order custom T-shirts. Currently, the Charlottesville facility employs 185 people, with plans to add 100-150 more people in the next few years.

“CustomInk believes that T-shirts have the power to unite people, and Charlottesville is a prime example of that,” CustomInk co-founder and CEO Marc Katz said in the press release. "From sports teams to local businesses, schools, and religious organizations, the Charlottesville community shows how the power of groups can bring people together, and we are proud to be a positive and engaged member of this community as we continue to grow.”

Albemarle County Supervisor Jane Dittmar said the region is attractive for employment, and she said CustomInk will be a welcome addition to the region's job market because it fosters a positive work environment.

“We talk about the Albemarle County ‘sweet spot’ regarding the type and size [of corporate companies],” Dittmar said in an email.

Since the company's founding, CustomInk has created more than 50 million T-shirts — and college consumers make up a sizable share of their target customer base, General Manager Don Churms said.

“We’re selling nationally,” Churms said. “[I] don't have specific sales numbers for U.Va., but I can say college is one of the largest sections of sales.”